Dear WSC
After “sick as a parrot” and “early doors”, it seem we must now brace ourselves as another football cliche takes root. Apparently, no one in the game can now refer to the patently obvious without reach- ing for a little spurious gravitas by des- cribing it as “well documented”. In case it is not yet well documented just how irritating this affectation has become, I thought I’d get the ball rolling.
Jeffrey Prest, via email
The Archive
Articles from When Saturday Comes. All 27 years of WSC are in the process of being added. This may take a while.
Haydn Parry looks at Gillingham's recent ups and downs
What’s the current state of the relationship between Gillingham fans and the club’s owner?
Paul Scally brought a much needed businessman’s approach when he took us out of receivership in 1995 and has had nothing but relative success since, with the rise to Division One for the first time. Priestfield has also been transformed and is no longer a Victorian curiosity-cum-health hazard. But he has a propensity for PR gaffes: banning for life the unofficial supporters’ club president and maintaining the feud in his programme notes; or changing the home kit from blue to white – a decision swiftly reversed after the fans got restless.
Who will replace Sven?
England’s qualification for Euro 2004, in all probability delaying the mooted departure of Sven-Göran Eriksson to Stamford Bridge until next summer at the earliest, reduces the urgency of some particularly troubling questions without diminishing their importance: where are all the great English managers? Or even half-decent ones, especially among those with international playing experience? Was there something in the water at Spain 82, Mexico 86 and Italia 90 that ensured an entire generation would struggle to achieve mediocrity?
David Wylie explores what lies ahead for Northern Ireland
Quitting the international game to return to club management is in vogue. If speculation is to be believed, Sven-Göran Eriksson is considering the lure of Abramovich’s millions at Chelsea. Meanwhile, emphasising the worlds between them, Sammy McIlroy has resigned from the Northern Ireland post to become the boss of Stockport County. Eriksson has just delivered qualification. Sammy Mac, on the other hand, has presided over the worst spell in his country’s footballing history. Yet amazingly, he wasn’t sacked; indeed the opposite. Believe it or not, only a short time before leading NI to a dismal three points, no wins and no goals from our latest campaign, McIlroy signed a new two-year deal.
Neville Hadsley bemoans the problems which mean Coventry still play at Highfield Road
When I was a kid, nothing could get me to leave the room faster than those dire Norman Wisdom films – the ones where everything went wrong and it all collapsed into high farce. The embarrassment was all too much for me.